NBA picks: 76ers vs. Celtics prediction, odds, over/under, spread, injury report for Friday, Dec. 1
Maxey and Batum are both out for Philadelphia. The line is now Celtics -11.5 and the total is now 218. We’re going Celtics -11.5 and the under on the total.
Embiid is out for the 76ers, whlie Tyrese Maxey is also dealing with an illness and is considered 60-40 to play. Batum is also 60-40 with a finger issue. The Celtics are now 7-point favorites and the total comes in at 224.5. Given the issues Philadelphia is dealing with, we’ll take Celtics -7 and the under on the total.
The Philadelphia 76ers (12-6) will hit the road to square off against the Boston Celtics(14-4) Friday. The 76ers are coming off of a blowout victory over the Los Angeles Lakers while the Celtics get a tune-up game before their quarterfinal matchup in the NBA In-Season Tournament. Tipoff for the game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m ET from the TD Garden in Boston.
Celtics center Kristaps Porzingas is listed as out with a left calf strain. 76ers center Joel Embiid is listed as questionable with an illness. Nic Batum and Jaden Springer are both listed as probable.
The Celtics are currently 6-point favorites according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is set at 225. Boston is -258 on the moneyline while Philadelphia is +210.
76ers vs. Celtics, 7:30 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Celtics -6
The Celtics have covered the spread in three of their last five games against the 76ers. This season, they are 8-8-2 against the spread. The Celtics have covered the spread in 12 of their last 14 games when they’d had a rest advantage. The two teams have split the season series 1-1 so far but the Celtics won the most recent matchup by 10 points. Embiid being questionable makes a difference, so take the Celtics to cover.
Over/Under: Under 225
The average point total at the TD Garden is 226, and the record for the over on that is 3-5. Also, five of the Celtics’ last six home games have gone under on the point total. These are two high-powered offenses, but they can play some solid defense as well. When looking at the last five head-to-head matchups against these two teams, the under has hit three times, with one push when the total was set at 224. This one will likely follow that same trend, so take the under.
